Ghost in the Machine
by Queriusole
Summary: Lupin Tonks, Black. Remus and Tonks help the residents of Grimmauld Place deal with some Dark Magic. Ch 1 Toilet of Terror. UPDATE Ch 2 Beat the Clock. COMPLETE!
1. Toilet of Terror

Summary: Lupin Tonks, Black. Remus and Tonks help the residents of Grimmauld Place deal with some Dark Magic.

Author Notes: Occurs during Order of the Phoenix shortly after Harry is brought to Grimmauld Place.

This relies on the physical features of Lupin as presented in the PoA movie. Written Oct 31, 2004. Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. The story was written for the pleasure of playing with her characters.

**GHOST IN THE MACHINE**

_**Toilet of Terror**_

Nymphadora Tonks' nose began twitching as got dressed for work this morning. Her eyes opened wide as recognition struck. "Blimey, it's bacon!"

A real breakfast? She followed the aroma to her kitchen where she found not just bacon, but eggs over-easy, toast, jam and a pot of tea.

She approached the man responsible for this feast and fell to one knee in front of him with her eyes brimming with emotion. She tenderly took his hand and pleaded, "Professor Lupin, will you marry me?"

Lupin couldn't consider this a sincere proposal given the woman's attention was completely focused on the breakfast he had prepared. In fact, Tonks managed to dart her head forward quickly and nab a piece of bacon off her plate with her mouth, much like a puppy snagging a morsel, as she waited for his response.

"Oh, get up, Tonks, and don't let your stomach lead you into making rash propositions," said Lupin with a smile. He pulled her up and plopped her into her chair.

Tonks swallowed the bacon, licked her lips in delight, and said, "Mark my words, Remus, I'll wear you down yet, but for now, pass the jam."

They consumed the breakfast amiably, but Tonks sighed a bit sadly as she lifted the last strip of crispy bacon and examined its perfect texture. "All things must come to an end."

She ate the last bit with sheer delight. "Mmm. Any time I try to fix bacon it comes out black and ashy."

Lupin quirked an eyebrow. "Scorched noodles and carbonized bacon? How about we set a new bylaw for our club? Tonks supplies the supplies; Lupin cooks."

"Deal," agreed Tonks readily as she put her hand out to shake his hand. She kept her hand clasped around his to rest on the table and asked, "When do you leave for Bath?"

"I have research to do at the Hogwart's Library before I set off for Bath on the evening train." Lupin added "And I want to see Sirius before I leave again."

"It's just as well that I have guard duty tonight, then. I'll try to come around number twelve to catch up with you this afternoon before you leave," she said. This time her voice was sincere and she patted his thigh with her free hand.

Lupin smiled at how natural it seemed to be having this sort of conversation with Tonks. He was worried they would be awkward with each other this morning. Although not consummated, the intimacy of their relationship was forever changed after last night.

"I'll be back in time for Harry's hearing." Then he added a bit bashfully, "And our next lesson."

"Be warned, Professor, I might impose an unscheduled examination." She was smiling at him with all sweetness, but her foot had slid under the cuff of his trouser leg and was trailing up his calf.

Lupin forced his brain to take charge of his senses and shifted his position to extract himself. "If I'm to see you later, I better get going now."

Tonks smiled demurely and sipped her tea. She fully intended that Lupin start his next mission with a smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Number Twelve Grimmauld Place_

"Ouch! Oh, hell, not again!"

"Blood traitors! Mutant, half-blood filth..."

Tonks closed her eyes and counted to ten. She'd been in a good mood when she finished her assignment and could drop by number twelve in the late afternoon. That was the only thing preventing her from screaming back at the hag.

"You've got to quit announcing your arrival like this, Tonks." Sirius met his cousin as soon as he pulled the curtains on the portrait of his mother.

"And deprive you of your exercise? Never. Where is everyone?"

"EEEEK!" "Oooh NOOOO!"

Tonks and Sirius looked at each other. They knew it was the teenagers, but couldn't distinguish whom. They ran up the stairs to the third floor to find Molly clutching Ginny and Hermione by the shoulders while Harry and the twins circled Ron.

"Ron, it's clear you'll never match our finesse with the fairer sex," said George with mock sadness.

"Giving a girl a heart attack is not an endearing quality. We should know," added Fred sagely.

"But I didn't--"

"Calm down, Ron," said Harry. "You didn't make Hermione scream?"

"No! Well, yes, but only when-- Look, I swear, there was a foul odor." Ron was interrupted by his twin brothers again.

"Ron, have you learned nothing about bodily functions?"

"Gas is a natural part of growing up. Happens when some blokes get nervous around a girl." Fred tilted his head toward Hermione who merely rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't nervous! Well, more like panicked, but that was after! And the smell wasn't me!" said Ron insistently.

"What's going on here?" asked Tonks as she assumed her professional tone of voice. The murmuring stopped immediately as she came to stand in front of the company.

"Ron and I were cleaning the lavatory," said Hermione calmly as she pointed to the door off the hallway.

Tonks peered into the room to find a sink and a Victorian toilet bowl with the oak cistern attached to the wall several feet above it. The ornamentation on the cistern gave the appearance of a demonic face, but Tonks could sense nothing beyond that. Still, she waved the company into the room across the hall and closed the door. "Tell me everything that happened."

"Ron wanted to leave it, but I kept smelling something really bad," began Hermione.

"Maybe we should let Ron use our special deodorant?" asked George of Fred, who nodded his agreement.

"I'm not a stinker!" insisted Ron, but then frowned and looked at Hermione. He was somewhat relieved when she nodded her head, but then confused when Ginny shook hers. Who knew what girls meant?

"The smell was worse than the troll in the girls' bathroom during first year," said Ron to Harry, who nodded in understanding.

"It was horrible," affirmed Hermione as she wrinkled her nose.

Tonks looked at Sirius with a quirked eyebrow and he immediately transformed into Snuffles. A moment later he returned from his inspection and said, "I couldn't smell anything. That's odd in itself."

"Still, the odor could be from a leaky pipe. Go on," prodded Tonks.

"Hermione decided to get more cleanser, but before we left, I turned around when I heard a gurgle. The toilet began to, well, boil," said Ron.

"It could be that the voices of a young couple woke up whatever's lurking in the loo. Or it could be a leaky pipe and faulty valve. You may need a plumber, not an Auror. Anything else?" asked Tonks.

"I backed away to the door and felt something like, like a cold hand reaching for my throat. It was cold, like when Dementors are around," ended Ron. "That's when I bumped into Hermione and we screamed."

Harry seemed shaken by this last bit and Ginny threw him a sympathetic glance. Even the twins had taken a step back. But Tonks now had a determined gleam in her eye. "Well, well, it looks like we need to flush out a ghoul."

"We want to help, Tonks," said George enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we've dealt with the ghoul in the attic lots of times at the Burrow," added Fred.

"But all that one does is rattle some chains and bang on the pipes," said Ginny.

"Don't worry, Ginny, I should be able to contain even a murderous ghoul." Tonks looked at the twins with serious consideration. "You two can apparate, so we'll use you as decoys, but first we need to entice it."

"I'll go in, dear," said Molly.

"No, Molly, I think we need another young couple to get its attention. Besides, this could get messy and you know I can't do _scourgify_ very well."

Molly and Sirius merely nodded in agreement. There was a certain tone that Aurors assumed when they meant business and Tonks was clearly in control. She shrugged off her robe and rolled up her shirt sleeves as she said, "This is likely to get dirty."

- - - - - - - - -

Harry and Ginny entered the lavatory and looked around. The ornate embellishment of the cistern gave it a rather sinister appearance, like the face of a gargoyle. They exchanged a glance and Ginny stepped just the slightest bit closer to Harry.

"I wish Mum hadn't sent us to finish the loo. It was Ron and Hermione's job after all." Ginny made sure her voice would ring out.

"This isn't so bad," said Harry. "My cousin Dudley always makes sure he leaves a mess for me to clean up at my aunt's house."

Ginny glanced at Harry when she registered the sincerity of his voice. It had taken her some time to realize how the Boy Who Lived was treated at his Uncle's house

"Let's get to it then," said Ginny. "Wait. Did you bring the toilet brush?"

"No, I thought you had it."

"Well, I'm not staying here while you take a detour to talk with Ron. Come on."

The foul odor began to emanate from the toilet as they left. Soon, the water in the toilet bowl began to roil in the abandoned room. The ghoul had lost his first prey, but he understood that the two were likely to reappear. He needed to be ready.

The lavatory door opened and the ghoul materialized sufficiently to make his attack as soon as the door closed.

Fred and George entered together since Tonks had stressed the need for the ghoul to register the presence of two mortals. They were in this for the adventure, but instead of facing a grumpy ghoul who was more deaf than deadly, the twins faced a murky, smelly gob of ectoplasm whose icy tendrils were extending. They could feel the cold as if it were penetrating their very spine, but the ghoul had yet to touch them.

"Now!" yelled the twins in concert as they moved away from the door.

"_Minimus._" Tonks had the door reduced to palm size with a quick wave of her wand. She faced the ghoul and dodged the icy tendril he extended as she raised her wand again and yelled, "_Defluo_!"

The ectoplasm exploded as the ghoul disappeared. Molly and Sirius ran toward Tonks now but stopped short as they gagged on the fumes.

The Auror, still pristine, turned to them and said, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you to generate an impervious charm."

Molly Weasley did better than that. She aimed her wand with true purpose. "_Scourgify_!"

The mess disappeared immediately and the smell with it. Sirius shrugged his shoulders as he scanned the room and said, "Looks like I'm not needed. Oh, there's a spot. _Evanesco_."

"Molly, that is one wicked s_courgify_ spell," said Tonks, truly impressed.

Molly stood beaming at the compliment, but soon she was frowning as she heard Ginny.

"Mum, Fred and George didn't disapparate in time!"

"Are they hurt?" called Molly as she raced down the stairs.

"Just stinky..."

Tonks turned to Sirius and said, "Why don't you go help Molly while I inspect for residuals and fix the door?"

"Molly can handle it. I think I need some peace and quiet. I'm going up to Buckbeak. I swear I'll never complain about his droppings again," muttered Sirius as he left.

Tonks smiled and entered the lavatory to approach the toilet. The face she could see on the cistern still held a menacing cast, so she considered rearranging the pattern after she checked for residuals. She closed her eyes as she bent over the toilet. Her spell would give her the history of the ghoul if she was patient.

The unwitting witch was lost in her spell when he approached. The temptation of human flesh was too much to bear. He reached out.

"EEEK!" Tonks yelled and turned to find Remus Lupin looking guilty as sin.

He was blushing and gritting his teeth as he said, "Sorry."

"Remus?" Tonks asked in disbelief. The sedate professor had just pinched her bottom.

"Tonks, do you need our help?" called Fred and George.

"No, I just bumped into the towel rack," asured Tonks. She flicked her wand to expand the door again so she and Lupin could have some privacy.

"I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me," said Lupin who now had his hand over his face. How could he explain the sudden impulse? "You were just, I mean your hip was thrust back, and, bloody hell, woman, you're doing it to me again."

"Professor Lupin," began Tonks sternly as she approached him. He was now standing with his hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly slouched, but had that air of innocence about him when he looked at her. She would bet anything he'd managed to get himself out of trouble with that look on several occasions.

Tonks cleared her throat and began again. "Professor Lupin, I think you need a quick lesson. Now, the proper way to greet your woman is with a kiss on the lips, not a pinch on the bottom."

Lupin figured he was off the hook when she put her hands around his waist and looked up expectantly. He leaned in to kiss her and thought it would be safe to put his arms around her. "Like this?"

"Mm, yes, that's fine. And if you were looking for Sirius, he's upstairs with Buckbeak."

"Yes, I was told he was here with you. I'll chat with him for a bit and be down shortly." Lupin turned to open the door, but stopped suddenly. "Now, wait one moment. Why are you allowed a random bum check when--"

"But I'm an Auror," reminded Tonks. "Random bum checks, chasing Dark Wizards and securing the premises of murderous ghouls is all in a day's work."

"Where was he hiding?" asked Lupin seriously. He had scanned the area for himself, but could detect no residuals.

"In the cistern." She waved her wand to erase the pattern carved into the oak.

"Like a ghost in the machine, eh?"

"Hopefully the only one."

But at that moment, the Grandfather clock struck the time of four o'clock. They looked at each other as they registered something sinister in the tone. Perhaps it was just their imagination. The scream they heard next suggested otherwise.

_TBC_

Author Notes:

_Edited to fix the omission and the Mom to Mum. I'm usually more careful, so thanks for letting me know._

Happy Halloween!

This story is supposed to reflect the passage in Book 5 where Harry thinks about Tonks helping them get rid of a murderous ghoul in an upstairs toilet and Lupin helps them with a possessed Grandfather clock. The wording left some room to consider that Tonks and Lupin were present in the same afternoon, but instrumental in dealing with two different aspect of Dark Magic rather than separate days.

So here it is. There should only be two chapters in this with the next one dealing with the Grandfather clock. Should be posted within a week.

_Defluo_ is not canon.

I have one more story after I finish this before I get back to exploring Lupin's Roman Wizard background, but it looks like I'll have to set it back toward Thanksgiving.

I appreciate the time you take to let me know you're reading, how the stories work for you, or just a note of encouragement to continue playing with the characters. Thanks for taking the time to review.

If you are new to the series, just hit Queriusole and it will take you to the rest of the stories in the list.


	2. Beat the Clock

_**Beat the Clock**_

Lupin and Tonks hurried to the second floor and followed a strange series of noises.

_Ching. Eek! Thud. Ching. Eek! Thud_.

This cacophony changed by the time they reached the door to the room that housed the library at number twelve.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

They peered inside to find Hermione and Ginny crouching behind Ron and Harry who in turn were crouching behind a rather tired and worn looking Chesterfield couch. Hermione and Ginny were no longer squealing, although the boys seemed to whining about stomped toes.

Steel bolts were being ejected by the rather staid Grandfather clock on the east wall. The hickory clock stood over two meters tall and the Roman numerals on its face held a sinister slant. The glass door of the case would open as another round of bolts serving as weights for the mechanism would fly.

But the bolts were being repelled quite successfully by the Gryffindor beaters: Fred and George Weasley. Lupin soon realized that the clubs they wielded were actually the wooden feet from the hapless rolling chair by the roll top desk. The leather chair resembled an overturned spider who had its legs ripped off.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

The Grandfather clock would eject the bolts and the twins would systematically send them back. Instead of battering the timepiece, the glass door would open to swallow the weighted bolts.

"_Immobilus_." Tonks and Lupin called the spell.

The Grandfather clock ignored it and sent another round of bolts.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam_.

"It didn't work," hissed Tonks, but then whistled. "Wow! Fred and George are great beaters."

The twins heard the appreciative whistle and attacked the next set of bolts with zeal. They were having no trouble connecting since the trajectory of the bolts was unchanging.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

"What the hell?" asked Sirius as he appeared at the doorway.

"We were just passing by it when it started flinging bolts," Ginny said as she ducked behind Harry again.

"But it won't let us move. It sends the bolts right after us," added Harry.

"At least the twins are having fun," observed Sirius as Fred and George knocked their makeshift beater clubs together in victory. Another volley soon began.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

Lupin turned to Sirius. "We can't freeze it, so it's been protected. Do you know the history of the clock?"

Sirius frowned for a moment, but before he could respond, Tonks asked, "Where's Molly?"

"She said she needed a nice, long, undisturbed shower when she finished scourgifying the twins," said Hermione. She was using Ron as a second shield, but had to stand up a bit to be seen. Something long was wrapped around her neck.

"What's that thing around your throat? It's not a snake, is it?" asked Sirius. Something in the back of his mind had set off an alarm.

"It's NOT a snake," said Hermione in an offended tone. "It's a scarf!"

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._ The twins were starting to do some fancy clubwork, but the bolts just retreated back into the clock.

"Of course, the scarf! I remember now," proclaimed Sirius. "The clock was bought in the late 1800's by my crazy, great-great-Uncle Corvus Black."

"He was a collector?" asked Lupin.

"No, he was bloody insane! Claimed to be from some planet--Gladfly? Garrily? Gallifrey? Anyway, the old codger lived forever. He demanded to be called Master and had very peculair habits even for a Black. He would try to squeeze himself into the Grandfather clock."

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam_.

"Well that's an interesting fetish," quipped Tonks.

"No, he honestly thought he could time travel in it," said Sirius.

"What does the scarf have to do with any of this? Was he afraid of wool?" asked Lupin.

"No, he was afraid of people wearing long scarves. Claimed they were his arch enemies, especially this one poor chap who worked as a baker on Diagon Alley."

Lupin and Tonks exchanged a glance, but shook their head quickly.

Tonks called, "Hermione, you need to get rid of that scarf. Toss it away from you and run to the door. Fred, George, let the bolts target the scarf."

The adults could hear some squabbling from the teens.

"But I spent hours--"

"You kept tripping on it," said Ron as he grabbed one of the ends.

"You can knit another." Harry had taken hold of the other end.

"Don't strangle her," cautioned Ginny.

"Hey!" Hermione was clearly offended at her treatment, but especially at the way her hair had frizzed as the boys tried to tug the scarf off of her. She smiled a bit when the static electricity shocked Ron, but then gasped when in inadvertent tug almost choked her again.

"She's got to breathe!" admonished Ginny as she pulled the boys' hands away and unwound the scarf.

Harry quickly threw the scarf into the corner. They made a mad dash to the door while Fred and George kept between their escape and the Grandfather clock.

The bolts slammed into the scarf and lay still as Lupin and Tonks sealed the door. Sirius and the twins remained with them. They watched in fascination as the bolts suddenly levitated and returned to the safe haven of the Grandfather clock.

Silence. _Squawk!_

"Looks like the fun is over. I'm going back up to Buckbeak before he gets any more upset." Sirius turned as they heard another squawk from the hippogriff.

The twins looked askance at Lupin and Tonks. Fred spoke first. "Is this it, then? We just let the clock act up anytime it wants?"

"So far it's been a fun afternoon, disregarding the stinky bit," said George.

"You're right. That clock is dangerous," said Tonks.

"We need to nullify its ability to launch bolts," added Lupin, "I think I can discover how to subdue the clock if I can just get that spell book on the low shelf," he said as he pointed to the far wall. "_Magical Mechanical Menaces."_

"You can read the title from here?" asked Tonks in disbelief as she squinted her eyes.

"No, I recognized the binder on the book. It's the bright purple that gives it away."

Tonks and the twins nodded as they understood how Lupin was able to detect the book. In the meantime, Lupin looked at the clock with suspicion before taking a step forward.

_Ching. Whack. Slam._

"I don't think it likes people with brown hair," muttered Fred as he lowered his club.

"Here, I'll go." Tonks took three steps forward.

_Ching. Whack. Slam._

"I don't think it likes anyone passing in front of it now," offered George as he twirled his club in his hand.

"Maybe if I stay low," began Tonks. She dropped to her hands and knees and wriggled forward, keeping the Chesterfield couch between her and the clock. It was obvious that the Auror had a very trim derriere.

And it was apparent that the twins were noticing this. While Lupin wouldn't call it leering, exactly, Fred and George were staring appreciatively at the feminine form of their comrade as she crawled to the bookshelf.

The twins soon felt a large hand on top of their heads turning them to face the clock.

"Keep your attention on the right target, boys."

"Hold on. You're not our professor anymore," whispered George.

"That's right, you can't tell us what to do," hissed Fred as he joined his brother in trying to stare down Lupin. Of course, both had to tilt their heads up to accomplish this.

"I may not be your professor, but I am still a werewolf," said Lupin with a pleasant smile.

"Right, then." "Good point." The twins were now enraptured with watching the clock, but their sentry duty now seemed more important than ogling Tonks assets.

Tonks extracted the volume quickly after rapping her head on the edge of the shelf in her haste to retrieve the item. Rather than crawl back with it, she tossed it toward Lupin.

The force of her throw would have sent the book tumbling downward several feet shy of her target had Lupin not raised his hand to catch the book. Tonks knew he liked to cover up his use of wandless magic, although the twins were maintaining sufficient vigilance to make Moody proud.

Tonks scurried forward in a low crouch to settle by Lupin who was down on one knee with the open book. The twins maintained their guard.

"What are you looking for? That's not a volume that Aurors have to learn," said Tonks. Her head was peering directly over Lupin's shoulder.

"It contains obscure spells and counter-spells to use on mechanical objects. You have to interface the physics and the magic. Ah, here it is."

He pointed to the passage and Tonks looked at him in disbelief. "Remus, that's very complicated. How are we going to coordinate all this?"

"Just a bit of improvisation and a lot of help. Go get the others. We'll need Pigwideon and Crookshanks, too."

- - - - - - - - - - -

"But what if he eats him?" asked Ron with concern. He eyed Crookshanks suspiciously, especially when the cat licked its chops as he looked at the owl.

"Don't worry, Ron. As a mouse, Pig will scurry along fast enough," said Tonks. All the teenagers in the household were now gathered around Lupin and Tonks in the hallway outside of the library. Molly and Sirius had elected to leave the taming of the clock to them.

"Now remember, timing is everything," said Lupin. "You know your assignments. Fred, George, go."

Fred nodded. He had the long scarf wrapped around his neck to ensure the clock's attention. He walked forward two steps before the first bolts came flying out at him. In the meantime, George scurried along the wall to approach the clock. He perched on an armchair near it and leaned over to adjust the face of the clock to the time indicated by the spell book.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

Fred was beating back the bolts with furious movements as they suddenly proliferated. One bolt ricocheted so that George felt it whiz by his face before it entered the clock. He sent his twin a glare reserved for Slytherins since he couldn't shout at him, but Fred was oblivious.

George adjusted the hands on the clock face quickly just as Fred tossed the scarf away and leapt toward the safety of the doorway.

Lupin was peering at the hands on the clock and nodded. "Perfect. That should give us just enough time. Ron, put your owl on the table."

Ron put Pig on the table. The little owl was about to flutter away when Tonks waved her wand and transformed Pig into a mouse. The mouse scurried along the tabletop as if wondering why he couldn't fly.

"Go now," ordered Lupin. The twins suddenly leapt in front of the clock, taunting it to fling bolts up at them as decoys for the activity on the floor.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

Ron took the mouse off the table. He and Harry then got on the floor on their stomachs to approach the clock from the right. Ron held Pig while Harry had his own club to beat down any stray bolts.

In the meantime, Ginny and Hermione approached the clock from the left in a crawl that mirrored the boys. Hermione was carrying Crookshanks who was trying to twist out of her hand to get at his prey, but Hermione hung onto him tenaciously. Ginny had a club in her hand in case bolts should fly their way.

Lupin and Tonks watched with some amusement as the teens slithered to their goal. Fred and George were leaping about trying not to kick their younger siblings and friends as they deflected the bolts.

_Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam. Ching. Whack. Slam._

"Release Pig now," called Lupin as he checked his wristwatch.

Ron bit his lip, but did as he was told. Hermione immediately released Crookshanks who began to chase Pig. Rather than run up the clock, the silly creature began to run in a circle.

"If only Pig could fly," muttered Lupin, but a mouse is what the spell required.

Harry looked at Lupin and made a gesture with his hand. Lupin quickly nodded his approval, so Harry picked Pig up and tossed him up toward the clock.

The mouse clutched at the wood only to find Crookshanks literally on his tail. Pig began to run up the clock.

"Chant the spell!" Tonks hoped they remembered it.

_"Hikauree dikauree dauk." _ The young voices cried in unison.

The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, which had an odd effect on Crookshanks. The entire feline body seemed to shake with the same resonance. This gave the mouse a chance to run down while the teens again chanted, _"Hikauree dikauree dauk."_

Ron grabbed Pig just before Crookshanks recovered sufficiently to finish the chase. The chiming seemed to extend for a time and began ringing in everyone's ear. The teens pressed against the floor and covered their ears with their hands. Even Fred and George were bent over at the sound.

Tonks could see the wince that shot through Lupin and wondered if his hearing was sensitive to the noise.

Then suddenly, there was silence.

Harry looked up first, but waited for Lupin's nod before helping up his friends. In the meantime, Lupin and Tonks approached the Grandfather clock for a final inspection.

"I think it's fixed," remarked Lupin. The Roman numerals now sat with appropriate angles. Lupin checked his wristwatch and adjusted the clock to the right time. Nothing happened.

"I'm going to miss the old fellow," said Fred with a note of sadness.

"Yeah, we haven't had to deal with this many projectiles since our last game against Slytherin," said George.

"Keep him away, Hermione," warned Ron. Crookshanks seemed to find it amusing to harass the transmuted owl.

"Here we go," said Tonks. She flicked her wand and the owl gave a hoot of surprise. Pig immediately began preening himself. "You can go help your Mum with dinner now."

There was mild complaining from the teens, but they walked away rehashing the recent events. It was a memorable afternoon at Grimmauld Place.

- - - - - - - -

After dinner, Tonks and Lupin cleared the dishes. She looked at the time and sighed. "I'll come up and help you pack. It looks like we've run out of time for an on the spot quiz before your train leaves."

"Packing won't take long," assured Lupin.

But when they entered his room, Tonks found herself embraced in his arms. She closed her eyes for a moment and just enjoyed the feeling of his solid chest. She pulled away to lead him to sit on the bed but was thoughtful for a moment as she held his hand.

"This is what it's going to be like, you know. Between our responsibilities to the Order and my job, we might have little more than stolen moments. And we don't know how long this war will last." Tonks voice had a note of regret.

"You don't think it's worth the trouble?" asked Lupin. He tucked his fingers under he chin and tilted her head so she would look at him.

"Aren't you the least bit disappointed at how little time we had together?"

"Yes, I am, but it's worth it to swing by London between my missions just to have one moment with you," said Lupin sincerely. "I also want to check up on Sirius, but you're the one who's constantly on my mind."

As a reward for his confession, she kissed him tenderly. She ended the kiss and let her head fall on his shoulder for a moment.

"I check up on Sirius when my schedule allows, so don't worry." She sighed, "I just wanted to give you a proper send off, if you know what I mean."

Lupin quickly understood and kissed her to convey this. Then he pulled away and said, "You can indeed give me a proper send off. Walk with me to the train station? I haven't had anyone to wave good-bye since I was in school."

Tonks smiled brightly. "I"ll meet you a few blocks away. You'll know me, don't worry."

- - - - - - - - -

"Now, Johnniekins, remember not to talk to strange women while you're away," said the old crone with the silver hair and bright eyes.

The tall man leaned into her and responded, "I'll be a perfect gentleman, Auntie Nyms, don't you worry."

He kissed her chastely on the forehead before he moved to the train. As he was about to enter the car, he turned to her for one last look over his shoulder. That bashful smile was in place, but with a last wave of his hand, he was gone.

Tonks felt her heart swell for a moment. Mission accomplished. She had gotten her wish of sending Lupin off with a smile but sex had not entered into it at all. Still, she couldn't deny the intimacy she felt as they had walked to the station. Stolen moments were inherently precious, she thought.

And as she made her way home, the other pedestrians smiled at the spry step with which the old woman walked.

_The End_

Author Notes;

There is no specific library that I remember at number twelve, so I just made up a room on the second floor because of the furniture I wanted to include in the story. Weird, perhaps, but then so are the Doctor Who references throughout the story. Yes, it was a direct reference to the character of the Master. And of course, who can resist a nursery rhyme? Well, actually, most of you probably can, but I'm a sucker.

Thanks for reading!


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